


Letting Go

by Shiredancer (SallyJ)



Category: The Sentinel
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-12
Updated: 2018-05-12
Packaged: 2019-05-05 16:49:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 436
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14622989
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SallyJ/pseuds/Shiredancer
Summary: Naomi is losing her only nephew (a short piece written for TS Concrit #2, Emotion or Mood)





	Letting Go

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger warning: this piece deals with a cancer death, which might be upsetting to some. No major character death.

She’d received the call at dawn: _Come now. We’re losing Robert._ She’d rolled off the bed, heart pounding, sure in her knowledge of all that the summons conveyed, but disbelieving, hoping for a miracle, knowing there wasn’t one coming. She’d had a suitcase already packed, dashed out, jumped into the car with a silent repetition of “no, no, this can’t be happening, please no…” ticking through her brain. She’d driven two hours through pounding rain, a cassette of yoga chants playing over and over through the car’s stereo system, keeping her steady in the downpour, getting her through the traffic, calming her quaking heart but never really calming it.

Naomi Sandburg remembered the way from her last visit to that hospital, months earlier, when her nephew’s diagnosis had first been given, the unbelievable news, the terrifying word, cancer. Months of hope, despair, progress, backslides, waiting, waiting waiting waiting, wanting only the words “cancer free”. Now she was here again, the waiting coming to its end, not the way any of them had wanted.

Naomi hurried up to the front desk and tried to give the needed information. “Robert… I’m here for Robert Levy…”, but her voice wouldn’t work; she had to try again before the volunteers could understand and direct her. She turned toward the elevators, and suddenly there was her own son, her Blair, enfolding her in his arms and holding her as she broke completely. Sobs gasped out too fast to breathe, she hadn’t known she could sound like that, but she couldn’t stop, couldn’t breathe, could only heave choking little cries into the comforting shoulder. 

“I know, I know,” he murmured, and they clung together until she could calm herself, just for the moment. 

“It’s not possible, this can’t be happening,” she whispered, and felt his nod. 

“I’ll take you up; they moved him from ICU this morning. He’s not responding, he’s too heavily sedated, but everybody’s talking to him, hoping he hears us.” He was being brave for her, but she could hear his sadness; as she wiped her eyes she could see the sorrow lining his face. Her heart broke for her son -- this was Blair’s only cousin, the closest thing to a big brother that Blair had ever had.

Naomi’s thoughts tumbled as she followed Blair: she’d held Robert as a baby, known and loved him for thirty-seven years, expected him to live long after her. He’d been the first baby Naomi had ever held, ever cuddled, was almost a first son to her. Bereft, hollow, disbelieving, but unable to escape the painful reality, she braced herself to say good-bye.


End file.
